The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a stepping motor in reciprocating the carriage of a printer.
Hitherto, a stepping motor is used for reciprocating motion of the carriage of a printer. In view of stable function of the stepping motor and long span of life time thereof, it is essential to prevent the motor from overheating up to excessive temperature. Hence, it has been conventionally adopted that a temperature sensor is fitted to the motor or therearound to detect temperature of the motor directly, and that the motor is cooled by delaying drive start time at each end of the reciprocating motion of the carriage when starting printing in order to keep the motor below a specified temperature.
To perform temperature compensation of the stepping motor in the manner descrived above, however, it is necessary for the motor to be equipped with a temperature sensor, an amplifier for output signal from the sensor, a processing circuit for detected temperature signal, etc.